PAX: High Strangeness shows off a different view

Long-time Dtoid community member turned videogame developer, AgentMOO, is showing his team's latest efforts off at PAX East, and the product looks pretty impressive thus far. High Strangeness is a top-down retro adventure game with a pretty unique hook.

Approximately ten minutes into the demo, the protagonist finds a red skull that grants him the ability to switch between 8-bit and 16-bit graphics. The style has been aptly dubbed 12-bit.

This mechanic isn't simply an aesthetic pleaser; it plays a very important role in the way the game shakes out. Many puzzles can only be solved in one of the two views. For instance, the demo showcased a bridge that was only temporarily active. If you try to cross it in 8-bit, the character moves too slowly to make it across in time. Traversing it in 16-bit leaves you with just barely enough time to shuffle to safety.

The perspective shifting also contributes to the combat. Enemies seem to be more easily defeated in 8-bit view. However, the hero is more agile and quick-moving in 16-bit. The combination leads to a cool feeling of needing to tailor the view to the particular situation.